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Wednesday, 30 December 2015

I hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas and you're still in holiday mode. I know I am (hence why things have been a little quiet over here lately). Normal service will resume soon but in the mean time here's a little something to whet your appetite. It's become a bit of a tradition to share my Christmas gifts, we do all like to have a nosey don't we, and as always I've left of the pjs and socks.

I won't go into too much detail now, after all, this is my blogging material for the next few months! Plus, I haven't had time to 'play', I'm still in greasy hair, all-day-pjs mode. I'm beyond excited about the Tarte Holidaze Collection QVC! It had sold out pre Christmas and I thought I'd lost out, fortunately Santa came through. It's a bumper collection of 16 Amazonian Clay Eyeshadows, 4 Amazonian Clay Blushers, Mascara and Lip Creme. I guarantee you I'll be raving about this next year! It wouldn't be Christmas without a little Liz Earle under the tree and I was lucky enough to get more than a little. This bumper collection of skin and body care wonders will keep me going until summer. There was some lovely surprises too like the Leighton Denny Front Row Collection and Nars Illuminator in Org*sm, which amazingly I've never tried.

If you share your Christmas gifts, big or small, please leave your link in the comments so I can have a nosey too. For now, it's back to the sofa.

Sunday, 20 December 2015

Over the years my love of tan had dwindled. I’m normally pretty happy to embrace the au natural look, but there’s something about party season in Newcastle to make you feel very pasty. The problem is, the faff puts me off! Enter James Read Instant Bronzing Mist.

When it comes to tan, James Read is the man! His Sleep Mask Tan, hands down the best facial tan I’ve ever tried. But bronzing mists, however, are a tricky beast to master, but I honestly couldn’t face the latex gloves, tan mits, ronseal coloured lotions and potions – spray and go sounds better to me.

So this is how you use it. Stand in the bath. Sray it all over your body. Done! Seriously that’s it. I sprayed it on in a pretty cack handed manner and fully expected a patchy, streaky dis-aaaaar-staa, but somehow I ended up with an even, all over, golden tan. The spray is more of an ultra light mist that disperses evenly and widely (if that makes sense) so it covers quite a generous area with each stroke. You can even spray it directly on face, hands and feet – just make sure you moisturise your knuckles, elbows and toes. It absorbs straight into the skin and is completely clear. It was dry before I even got out of the tub. I got dressed and left it on overnight. Like every other tan, it did smell biscuity, but it didn’t transfer onto my clothes or bed sheets.

I wanted to be able to walk into work the next day and not have everyone think – she’s been tango’d. I might be a northern lass but a full-on mahogany glow in the middle of winter aint my thing (any more). Thankfully I got an even, all over, natural glow. It was noticeable but not in-yer-face.

For fuss free tanning during the festive season crack out the James Read Instant Bronzing Mist £25 ASOS | Space NK | QVC

Sunday, 13 December 2015

Scoring the perfect brow is a fine art and no one knows this more than Benefit. From grooming to styling they’ve got brows down. So imagine my delight when this dropped through the door…

The Curious Case of the Brow Dilemmas is the ultimate capsule brow wardrobe with everything you need to arch out the competition along with a VIP card which entitles me to free brow treatments at Benefit Brow Bars – Christmas has well and truly come early. It took me all of about 5 minutes to make my first appointment.

Benefit Brow Grooming

Repeat after me - taming of thy brows is essential. I’m definitely guilty of letting the bushiness get out of control. No excuses now! I didn’t drop the “VIP” when I booked my appointment, to properly review the service l wanted to make sure I was getting the same treatment as everyone else. I’m always a little nervous letting someone else loose on le brows, but with over 10 million groomed, I was in safe hands. I went for the full works – waxing, dyeing, shaping, and trimming. I told the girl I wanted to keep them thick (about a hundred times) and I wanted to take my arches a little higher, with slightly more of a point, if poss! The dye made such a difference. I normally skip this part since mine are already pretty dark but the tint helped create the illusion of more fullness and ultilised my little baby hairs to take the brows higher. Through waxing and plucking I got a nice, clean shape. I still looked like me, just better. The service is super efficient and I was done in 30 minutes. Guess what, at Benefit, everyone is a VIP. Find your nearest Benebrow Bar here

Brow zings, where have you been all my life? I don’t know how I’ve never used this. I guess I went from pencil’s to HD Brows and Anastasia Beverly Hills and somehow skipped this one. BIG mistake! Wax on one side, powder on the other, some handy little grooming tools, it’s everything you need in one tiny palette. The wax gives the powder something to adhere to (genius) for a bigger, bolder, beefed up and super long-lasting brows.

You know I love this one. Gimme Brow took so-called “brow mascaras” by the short n curlies! It doesn’t just tint brows or comb them in place. It magics brow hairs where they don’t even exist. The innovative brush-on fibre-gel adheres to skin and hair, filling sparse patches and thickening brows naturally. The tapered brush is tinie-tiny and absolutely perfect for shaping and filling the hard to reach gaps. Fuss free and super quick - it's shaved minutes of my morning routine. For a natural, low key brow I only need this. For a full, bad ass brow, Brow Zings and Gimme Brow together are a force to be reckoned with!

Do you know what, I had this years ago and had totally forgotten what a visible difference it makes. I'm not a big fan of the whole concealer around the brows thing. I think it looks a little fake and, well, obvious. This is much more natural. Lifts, enhances and highlights brows in an instant.

Sadly The Curious Case of the Brow Dilemmas bumper pack isn’t available to purchase, but you can buy all of the individual items here.

Are you a Benefit Brow fan?

Wednesday, 9 December 2015

The £5 eyeshadows that ARE BETTER than MAC are now available on UK soil. No more postage, no more two week waits and most importantly, no more extortionate customs charges.
If you’re a youtube addict, chances are you’ve come across MakeUp Geek Founder Marlena. She’s been tubin’ for years and launched her own line MakeUp Geek – luxury cosmetics at affordable prices. The hype surrounding their eyeshadows is completely justified. They look a lot like MAC but they’re loads cheaper, and wait for it….. better!

I ordered Mocha, Cocoa Bear, Latte, Hipster and Vanilla Bean earlier in the year and was blown away by their quality (full review here). Super rich, intensely pigmented, true, vivid colours, exquisitely blendible and super long lasting. And all this for $5.99 each! WOW. The only downside – ordering form the US meant a two week wait, $9 delivery charge and £12 customers charge. Well no more! Our very own Beauty Bay are now selling MUGs eyeshadows (from £4.95), pigments and blushes. Whoop, bloody whoop! Off I go to fill my palette. Next on my wish list - Prom Night, Shimma Shimma and Creme Brulee.

It feels like one of those silicone textured primers, think Smashbox Photo Finish but lighter. In fact, it’s light at air. The velvety, slightly mattifying texture sinks in to reveal an instantly visible improvement to the appearance of pores and lines. It helps to blur pores but doesn’t feel like it’s sitting in them – no polyfiller here. Mattifying textures aren’t normally my favourite, you know me, I’m all about the glow but it truly makes my face look extra smooth and flawless. It provides the most perfectly silky smooth canvas for applying make up and my foundation lasts longer!

On top of all this, it’s delivering proper protection. For years I hardly worried about sun damage. Like most, I wore sunscreen on holiday but didn’t bother in the UK. That was until I put my face in one of those face analysis contraptions and saw sun damage all over the place. This contains factor 30 and for once, it’s truly invisible, lightweight and non-sticky.

I can’t lie, the price makes me wince. I was lucky enough to get this in a good bag at a Murad event. BUT when you consider it’s an anti-aging treatment, sunscreen and primer in one, it's an easier pill to swallow. Either way it delivers flawless skin in one step!

Friday, 27 November 2015

If there’s one thing Charlotte Tilbury has nailed, it’s the packaging! Her lipsticks are exquisite. The rose-gold metal-ribbed casing is elegant, timeless and expensive. They remind me of the Estee Lauder lipsticks my Mum had when I was a kid. Please lord if I ever drop my handbag, let this roll out and not a tampon!

Packaging nailed, what about what’s on the inside?

Don’t be fooled by the name ‘Penelope Pink’ actually isn’t very pink. It’s more nude with a slight dusky/browned pink. It’s very neutral – neither warm or cool and for that reason it should be universally flattering. It is of course the lipstick to complete the Dolce Vita look and it perfectly balances the intense warm copper/red brick toned eyes. It’s perfect for an everyday or paired back lip.

It’s a moisturising formula, very emollient and glides on with ease. Creamy and buttery yet lightweight, you can definitely forget you’re wearing it! My lips are pretty chapped right now and it doesn’t cling to the dry skin, instead it smoothes over and provides a perfect surface. I feel like I have to be quite generous with application, it needs a good couple of coats. It’s fairly sheer on first swatch, but builds up to a fuller coverage.

The finish is quite shiny, almost glossy. There’s no denying that it makes my lips look fuller – juicy and glossy and plumped up, even without the liner. Stick the liner on (Pillow Talk) and BAM, Pam Am pout! The staying power is pretty good, especially for a nude, a moisturising nude no less!

When I it comes to lipstick I tend to be all or nothing. I cane new lippy. Put it in my bag, wear only that and only that for a few weeks, before the urge for a change creeps in and I swap it out for another. Penelope (not so) Pink and I have been going steady for 8 weeks now, no subs bench yet!

I’m really pleased I picked Penelope Pink. It’s unlike any other in my collection and I’ve already had decent wear out of it. It’s a good all rounder and when I do eventually take it out of my handbag, man will it look good on my dresser! I’m not planning to rush out and buy any more of the K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipsticks. I don’t think they surpass MAC, except in price, but I could be tempted with CT’s Matte Revolution range.

Saturday, 21 November 2015

Despite being a real blogger fave, I’ve never used a Laura Mercier base (shock horror). I worship at the altar of her pimers, but the foundations have passed me by. That was until I was training at The London Make up School earlier in the year and had access to the whole range. There are two versions of the Silk Creme Photo Edition Foundation – moisturising and oil free. I’m reviewing the former, but I used both at LMS and was blown away by their versatility. They suited everyone’s skin type, looked incredibly flawless and, true to its name, photographed beautifully.

Headline deats…

A long-wearing formula with a high pigment load that provides up to 12 hours of full coverage wear while feeling comfortable on skin and hiding even hard-to-cover imperfections. The photo-ready, natural luminous finish is ideal for video, photography and special events.

My thoughts…

It’s full coverage for sure, about as full coverage as I’d go. If you’re used to sheerer foundation like moi, it might seem a bit thick, but it doesn’t feel heavy or look cakey. It covers most redness, decolouration, pimples etc so you can probably forgo concealer – bonus! It’s not a swipe-with-fingers-and-go foundation, you’ve got to take the time and effort to b-lend. I apply it with a regular No7 foundation brush then smooth with my fingers to check it’s pressed in. For an even more flawless application use a sponge or beauty blender – I’m just too lazy to do this on a daily basis. The finish is absolutely flawless! I wouldn’t call it dewy, more luminous and slightly glowing. It’s moisturising, but not greasy and lasts all day. Despite being full coverage it manages not to look too flat or mask like and yes it photographs wonderfully – no insta filter needed. It’s a real gem for bridal make up.

I’m going to have to shave off some points for the poor shade range. Colour match was tricky. At the school I had the full range to mix/customise to meet the model. In store I was matched to Medium Ivory (I’m MAC NC 30, Chanel Vitalumiere 30). At first this seemed way too light for me, but as the winter draws in and my summer glow disappears, it’s becoming a better match. I'm wearing it with Giorgio Maestro Bronzer in the photo - review here.

For me, this isn’t an everyday foundation – I’m still a bareMinerals Complexion rescue nut! But there are the days when I need a bit more coverage and certainly for nights outs, events and anything involving photography – this is where I turn!

Who's a fan?

Thursday, 12 November 2015

There’s a small breed of women folk (I’m not being sexist, I’ve just never found a man that does this) that have Christmas all wrapped up by September. If you’re one of those women – I salute you! For everyone else, this one’s for you! I’ve scoured the shops and brochures so you don’t have to. From small, stocking-sized packages to luxe lust-haves, this gorgeous gift guide has got it covered... And ladies, if you’d like to be on the receiving end, start dropping some hints, and fast!

Last year they brought us the Cheeky Sweet Spot, this year it’s the Cheeky Party. A genius idea from Benefit – all of their iconic box o’ blushes, the amazing Hoola bronzer and this year, a mini They’re Real and Push up Liner, all encased in a o’ so cute tin! With an individual value of over £70 it’s a blushin’ blockbuster! They sold out well before Christmas last year – you have been warned!

If you haven’t fallen for bareMinerals yet, this set could seal the deal. The eye, cheek and lip collection includes seven tried and-true customer favourites. Give the gift of beauty or keep it all for yourself.

I can’t defend them. They are ridiculously expensive and yes, you’re effectively setting fire to money, but money never smelt so good! Honestly they smell divine, plus they’re strong and very long lasting. The trio includes Bailes, Figuier and Roses.

Friday, 6 November 2015

HD Brows (who I think are in the process of rebranding themselves as just ‘HD’) Conceal & Correct Palette – It’s hands down the best concealer palette I’ve used. It’s everything I hoped Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage would be, but wasn’t. FYI I don't hate Secret Camourflage, it's just very stiff and difficult to work with.

The palette comes in three colour-ways – light/medium, medium, medium/dark. I went for light/medium with the intention of using this for bridal work, but it’s actually a very good colour match to my own skin. That’s the beauty of having a palette with three shades – it’s completely customisable and covers you all year round. They’re full coverage conealers but they’re not cakey or drying, which is where Laura Mercier’s fell down and they’re luxuriously creamy and easy to apply. They blend beautifully too so you don’t get that dry/crusty edge where the concealing ends.

I primarily use this for pin-point concealing (Lisa Eldridge styleee) on spots and pigmentation – I have an annoying red burst-blood-vessel on my nose and a bindi style spot on my forehead. This discreetly covers them all day. It’s also an under eye bag slayer! Although I prefer not wear anything too heavy under le eyes, if the bags are especially dark – this zaps them good.

If you’re into extreme highlighting and contouring this would work a treat, and if you like to do that conceal around the brows thang, this is perfect! It’s creamy and glides around the arches with ease, but blends in and doesn’t look too obvious.

Everyone needs a good concealer palette in their arsenal!

Thursday, 22 October 2015

Two things I do every morning without fail – 1. apply eye cream, 2. Apply concealer/highlighter in a vain attempt to cover up my pesky eye bags. A double ended wand that does both... music to my ears eyes but can it really provide 8-hours sleep in two clicks?

Charlotte Tilbury's Mini Miracle Eye Wand £29 is described as 'a miraculous two-step remedy for bags and dark circles, because the whole world is tired'. There’s an eye cream at one end to tighten and smooth and a highlighter at the other end to conceal and brighten.

I wanted to love this product. I wanted it to be a sent-from-god, mni-miracle, life-saving, holy-grail-in-the-making product. Sadly, it’s not. At least not in my (tired) eyes. I’m not saying it’s a major fail, but it’s hardly the magic wand it claims to be.

The eye cream is packed with all the right goodies - hyaluronic acid, Shea Butter Extract, Jojoba Seed Oil, Borage Seed Oil, Rice Bran Protein, Glycerin and all that jazz BUT i find it quite watery and on its own, it doesn’t do a whole lot for the cause. It definitely hydrates and smoothes out the area, but it’s not as effective in my opinion as Vichy x and Liz Earle Eye Repair, which both feel richer and have amazing light-reflecting properties.

The highlighter comes in 5 shades. I’ve got shade 2, a neutral beige shade for light skin tones with neutral undertones. It’s a decent colour match – light enough to highlight but not too light that it looks ghostly. It’s packed with micro-particles that brighten shadows, conceal discolouration and diffuse the appearance of under-eye hollows. It’s very lightweight and definitely has skills in the brightening department and it photographs beautifully! It is lacking however in the concealing department and since my eye bags are blue toned, they respond better to yellow toned highlighters like MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in Light Boost and YSL Touche Eclat Shade 2. This one's a bit too neutral.

Now here’s the main problem, the two work in harmony. The eye cream does provide a nice, smooth base, but the concealer doesn’t blend well over it. It kinda sits on top of the eye cream looking patchy and settling into the creases. I have to work my ass off to get it to blend in. I’ve tried patting, I’ve tried rubbing and in the end I’ve resorted to using a soft bristle eye brush to create a more airbrushed effect.

A couple more quarms, the brush applicator is very small, I would have liked for it to be a bit fatter, and this could have helped with blending. Speaking of size, the product is a disappointing 3mls. Presumably 1.5ml at each end. Compare this to MAC prep & Prime highlighter 3.6ml or bareMinerals stroke of light 5.5ml, this wand ain't gonna last long.

I’m not saying I don’t like this product, I do! It delivers results (you can definitely see the difference in the pictures) but after five years development and talk of "mini miracles", I am a little disappointed. I’ll enjoy using it for now, but I doubt I’ll repurchase, and that't the ultimate acid test.

Have you tried it yet? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Saturday, 17 October 2015

If you’re looking for a winter skin saviour this could be just the tonic...

I don’t know about you, but if I don’t catch enough zzzz’s, it written all over my face! No amount of makeup can conceal a bad night’s sleep. Skin repairs itself whilst we sleep, if you’re not getting enough, especially good quality deep sleep, it will inevitably lead to tired, dull-looking skin. Mothers, travellers, shift workers, insomniacs, even party animals – you know what I’m talking about. Vichy to the rescue?

Idealia Skin Sleep Recovery Night Gel-balm* is the first product clinically proven to stimulate all the skin’s deep sleep mechanisms – so no matter how many hours sleep you have, the skin’s nightly functions will remain at their optimum. Essentially, it cheats your face into thinking you’ve had the full eight hours, when you were really bingeing on Netflix.

The unique gel-blam texture is a treat to the senses. It’s thick and rich like a balm, but fresh like a gel. It smells divinely relaxing and it’s pink! I’ve been applying it at bedtime - it sits there looking pretty (in pink) on the bedside table so I don't forget to use it and there's a mirror on the lid so you can see what you're doing - pretty nifty idea Vichy. I can highly recommend working it in with a good old facial message - a couple of minuted bliss before bed. For me, I think of it more like a bedtime mask. It sinks in well, so your skin won’t feel wet or claggy, buy it’s super rich so you know it’s there! It’s deeply hydrating and gives my skin an instant plumpness. When I wake up, my skin feels more hydrated and less lacklustre. And now that the winter is creeping in, I’m appreciating the TLC even more.

I’m not saying this cream will solve your sleep woes, but the relaxing blend of green tea and jasmine help to promote deep sleep. And once you are asleep the cocktail of goodies will make damn sure they repair and regenerate your dull, tired skin.

Sunday, 11 October 2015

Good things come to those who wait, and wait i did. Two years, TWO YEARS it's taken for Charlotte Tilbury to make it "all the way" up north to Newcastle, but she's finally here... and she's fabulous darlings. Her bright lights, rose gold packaging and army of Dolce Vita's, Rock Chick's and Golden Goddesses have pretty taken over the beauty hall - nobody puts MAC in the corner, except Fenwick Newcastle - he he.

So I came, got made up (£35 redeemable against products) and conquered the credit card. I need some time to stare at, I mean road test these beauties but for now, here's a little Tilbury porn...

There were two things that were always going to make it in my basket - Filmstar Bonze & Glow - every bit as good as I hoped it would be, my none-existent cheek bones have never looked so good and the sexy as hell Dolce Vita Luxury Eye Palette. Eye cheat was a surprise hit - a perfect flesh coloured eye pencil that quite literally cheats its way to brighter eyes and the iconic Rock n Kohl Liner in Bedroom Black could possibly be EVEN better than the Urban Decay 24/7 liners. Repeat after me "I will not buy another lipstick, I will not buy another lipstick" - a mantra that went straight out the window as soon as Penelope Pink touched my lips. And the mini miracle eye wand aka 8 hours sleep in two chicks, I never stood a chance.

So that's me living on porridge oats for the rest of the month, but at least I'll look like a screen siren!